The book comparison is... not going to be easy this week. The Mat and Rand storyline, short as it is, is fairly true to form, despite the fact that we are technically in the wrong city. I definately understand the show for not investing in sets and cast for Caemlyn this season, and it makes sense to focus on Tar Valon to continue to show more of the Aes Sedai and avoid the entire Andorian royal family's introduction. Missing out on Rand's first meeting with Elayne brings interesting questions as to how they are going to solve that one, not to mention that his meeting with Elaida is an important catalyst for the White Tower storyline later. I'm at least going to assume Elaida will be featured in the series, but at this point anything is possible. Rand's meeting with Loial is rather brief, though the Ogier does suitably cram as many words as he can into his few scenes. Still, given how important the Rand-Loial friendship is in the earlier books... it grows quickly because at the time, Rand is largely fending for himself and Loial becomes an excellent companion to take over from the bedridden Mat, which is not really the case here. I'm hoping we get something more substantial for this relationship to develop next week.
The Perrin/Egwene story was where I felt the show took things a bit too far this time. Perrin's treatment at the hands of the Whitecloaks happens off-page in the books, and for different and arguably more understandable reasons beyond "Eamon Valda is a sadistic ***". I felt this segment opened strong with the Tinkers vs. Whitecloak scene, brutal though it was, but took things to far with the IMHO unneeded scrubbing scene. It risks Valda becoming a very one-note villain, and he seems to be taking over the role of Byar in the books as well. I've also realised how difficult Perrin's connection to the wolves is going to be for the show, given that we cannot hear either Perrin or the wolves' thoughts, and the latter don't speak at all. All the show can do, as it did here, is show us what the wolves are doing, with the odd ominous howl in the background. Will the series sacrifice Hopper on the runtime altar? Or is Perrin's journey of self-discovery being postponed to season 2, given that his role in the second book is minor? We will have to wait and see.
The final arc, that of Lan, Nynaeve and Moiraine, is entirely unique to the show. There is very little I can do for this in terms of comparing it to the books. I will admit that in the absense of such expectations, I find myself enjoying these parts more on my first viewing. It is a strange thing, given that the only reason I am watching the show is because I know the books. The story of Stepin and Lan is very moving, and I also enjoyed seeing Moiraine let her hair down a bit more in her interaction with Alanna. The notion of Moiraine passing on Lan's bond is discussed here; a bit earlier than espected, but it makes a bit of sense given that Moiraine must already have realized Lan's attraction to Nynaeve. There are also hints being dropped about Moiraine having some knowledge about her own fate, and I would not be surprised if the show has decided to pull forward her first visit to the Finns to a point where this has already happened; I couldn't really tell if something relevant to that was behind the locked picture frame in her room though.
What I'm also beginning to appreciate, is the show squeezing in nods to the fans and the larger plot in small moments. Logain's delusional outburst at seeing Mat and Rand here for example, or the fact that the eagle-eyed will spot someone walking around Tar Valon that we might not have expected to be there. And finally the continued concept of the cyclical nature of life through the Wheel returning, here in the way the rings of deceased Aes Sedai are returned to the place where we can assume new ones are made.
I will also add I am enjoying the show's take on Alanna and Liandrin again this week, giving some extra dimensions to them early on. By this point I am fairly certain Liandrin is going to take on a bit of other Red sisters storylines. Possibly Galina Casban? At least, I hope so, given combining her with Elaida will have some.. black.. prospects. A bit of Myrelle Berengari's story is given to Alanna, as a Green who would consider taking on a warder whose Aes Sedai had died. This leads me to suspect a possible merger of some of their roles as well, which will have interesting consequences if they stick to Alanna's story from the books.
